In communications networks, it may be challenging to obtain good performance and capacity for a given communications protocol, its parameters and the physical environment in which the communications network is deployed.
One component of wireless communications networks where it may be challenging to obtain good performance and capacity is the antennas of network nodes configured for wireless communications; either to/from another network node, and/or to/from a wireless user terminal. For example, a significant portion of network nodes deployed today are equipped with two reception (Rx) branches; in many cases by means of dual polarized antennas.
Demands for improved uplink performance sometimes require the number of Rx branches to be increased to four (or more), which often means that an extra antenna is mounted at the network nodes. Alternatively the existing antenna may be replaced with, for example, a quad (dual column, dual polarized) antenna.
Both these options result in an increased total antenna area. The increased total antenna area given by either mounting an additional antenna or replacing the existing antenna with a new antenna is in some cases not acceptable, especially at lower frequencies where antenna areas are quite large.
Hence, there is a need for an improved antenna arrangement.